Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)
Frank Keane, a baker by trade, has been consumed by grief over his wife's untimely death. But everything changes when he pulls his bread truck over on a rural highway to help a dying stranger entangled in a car wreck, who was on his way to a fateful reunion.
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good back-story, and good acting
It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
I love quiet little independent films and this one was more than I expected. So many well-known actors who must have seen the film as a labor of love instead of a big paycheck. I think it showed in their performances. Robert Carlyle had such a heavy sadness about him and watching him come out of his self-imposed solitude was one of the nicest things about the movie. There were so many sweet little moments and I've always liked John Goodman, his inability to correct some of the regrets he had in life would resonate with many of us. The scenes with the men together in group therapy were familiar to anyone who ever experienced the deep loss of a life partner. This movie contains both grief and joy too, which is pretty much what life contains if we are lucky enough to love someone and be loved in return.
This is such a good movie.There is so much tragedy in the lives of the characters and yet they seek comfort and happiness at the Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.It is so lovely watching these characters trying to recapture or rebuild the happiness in their lives.Robert Carlyle is his extraordinary self. You simply can't go wrong watching a movie with him in it. Marissa Tomei is wonderful as a fragile flower. Mary Steenburgen is a delight. and John Goodman...Please watch this film.
Found this gem in Hollywood Video today. What a sweet, uplifting film. Watched the movie, followed by the director's cut. (And, yes, Elden, I listened until all three of you stopped talking.) It's always helpful to know the director's intention after seeing a film. Makes for a more complete experience. The director's point of view often helps to verify I didn't miss key points in the story. This was one of the best director's reviews because Randall Miller and friends explained the variations in lighting between three different parts of the film, and discussed how they were able to assemble such an impressive cast. Loved the film. Bravo!
The film's use of two voices relaying three narrative threads, artfully woven without confusion while maintaining audience interest and focus, could be used as a textbook for compound story structure. If the story hadn't been expanded from a short film thereby requiring this approach, I'd be heaping superlative praise on its inventiveness as well.Entertaining, well-cast with excellent performances by its ensemble of seasoned character actors, and just quirky enough to offset its sometimes saccharin character, I think this will grow a deserved following when it airs on cable. A solid illustration of the possibility of 'charm' in contemporary cinema, it presented little violence beyond its illustration of an automobile accident site and the language of adolescent boys, and managed a passionate but never prurient love scene under cover of a liberal dusting of flour.Enchanting!